


Archery Lesson #1

by cecilia (ifasurfer)



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 09:41:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22848082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifasurfer/pseuds/cecilia
Summary: Usagi asks Rei to give her archery lessons; their first session together does not go quite as planned.
Relationships: Hino Rei & Tsukino Usagi, Hino Rei/Tsukino Usagi
Kudos: 33





	Archery Lesson #1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in 2014 for the Tuxecret Santa event on Tumblr. Thank you very much for reading.

Rei growled. “ _ No _ ¸ Usagi, your form is all wrong! Do it like this!”

“I’m  _ trying _ , Rei! I really am!” Usagi had begun the session eager to learn, but now she was whining. “Please just teach me how to hit the target, Rei,  _ please _ !”

Rei slapped her hand to her head and ran her fingers through the edges of her hair. “That’s what I’m  _ trying _ to do, but you won’t listen to me, you—“

“I  _ am _ listening! Please Rei!”

She could tell that Usagi was near tears, now, and she knew not to push it. _Just control yourself, Rei. It’s not nice to make your friend cry._ But just as soon as she opened her mouth she heard the other side of her brain. _It’s not MY_ _fault she’s about to cry, that’s HER problem. She’s acting like a whiny child!_

It took strength to fight it off, and she sounded aggravated. “ _ Listen _ , Usagi, just let me guide you a few more times through this and then I’ll let you try again alone, okay?”

Usagi slumped to the ground and gave an exhausted moan, half sigh and half whimper, her bow coming to rest across her legs. “But you’ve  _ already  _ guided me! A million times, Rei!”

Rei could feel her rage starting to burn. She glanced toward the target, just 4 meters away, and at the broken arrows lying beside it.  _ It was a smolder before, but it’s growing…it’s getting too hot for me to handle. _ Then her other side piped up.  _ Just relax. Of course she isn’t going to be perfect right away. She might not realize that, but you have to convince her that it’s okay. _ She paused.  _ Alright. _ She bent down and put her hand on Usagi’s shoulder. Usagi looked up, her eyes starting to cloud with tears.

“Listen, Usagi, you just need a little more practice. It’s okay if you can’t get a bulls-eye your first time out. The important thing is that you try. Practice is what makes you good at things.”

“Oh, but  _ Rei! _ ” Usagi threw her arms around her friend, pulling her tight. Rei felt Usagi’s elbows jutting into her chest and coughed. “You’re  _ so good!  _ You never miss! And I can’t hit the target at all!”

Rei pulled out of Usagi’s grip. Her voice was harsh again. “Now listen, Usagi, you’ll hit the target. But being overly dramatic about your own failures and comparing yourself to someone who’s been practicing archery for years is  _ not _ going to help you!”

Almost instantly, she knew she had gone too far. She hadn’t stopped to think before she talked, and she had fallen victim to that old trick of her mind. She felt the flames burning hot and bright now, and they had overtaken both of those voices.  _ I know how fragile she is, and still, I yell at her. _ Now she was raging against both her friend’s unwillingness to continue and her own shortcomings as a peacemaker. “You have to stop whining about  _ everything _ and just keep going! Archery is hard, and you’re not going to master it right away! Acting like a spoiled child won’t help at all!”

Usagi began to cry. “Rei, how could you! All I want is to be as perfect as you are and you can’t even bother to  _ teach _ me!” She paused to take a shuddered breath. “I knew this was stupid! I should’ve never tried this! Now you’re just mad at me!”

Rei closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her temple. She imagined herself calming down and convincing Usagi to try again, cheerfully.  _ It’s taking all of my willpower to not just scream at you right now, Usagi. _ Rei breathed. She knew she wasn’t going to reach that peaceful apex, but she knew she could pull off some damage control.  _ You do not often realize how much I really love you. _

This was the thought that let her break through that wall of flame, that barrier that so often kept her from truly reconciling. It had conquered her many times before, but this time, she would beat it.

Rei tried to soften her voice again. “Listen, Usagi. If you don’t want to do it anymore we don’t have to.” She still felt the edge on her voice, and made a note to work on removing  _ that _ as well.

But before she could continue, Usagi whipped her head towards Rei. Rei stopped and looked at her, puzzled. “Usagi?”

“That’s not what you’re supposed to say.” Her voice was not the hot one, and she looked as mad as Rei had ever seen her.

“….Supposed to say?”

“You’re supposed to yell at me, Rei! You’re supposed to tell me I  _ have _ to try, and that I’ll never be as good as you but that we’re not leaving until I hit 30 arrows in a row!” She sounded mad, but looked like she was giving an encouraging speech. “You’re supposed to be confident,  _ too _ confident, but project enough strength that I believe you! That I have complete faith in everything you say! That I’ll never truly beat you, but that it’s still a goal to strive for!”

Rei blinked. “What’s gotten into you, Usagi?”

“Oh, please! I’m not dumb!” She stood, now even angrier than Rei had been. “You motivate me, Rei. You convince me to do things I would never do otherwise. You make me feel like I can do anything if I just keep trying – that I’ll never be as good as you, but that I should still try to!”

Rei felt her fury melt. “I-I never knew you felt that way…You’re always so – bubbly.”

Usagi laughed her distinct giggle and her gaze turned soft. “I’m comfortable hanging out with you and everyone else, but, you know, I have lots of doubts too.” She lowered her voice and grabbed Rei’s hand. “You keep me from quitting. No matter how bad I feel about myself or how mean you think you sound, you give me a reason to keep going. To never give up.” She sniffed and moved her hand to Rei’s face. “You hold yourself to such high standards in everything, and you  _ always _ meet your goals. Even if at first they sound ridiculous.” Her hand dropped and she smiled wider. “That’s why I like you so much. That’s why you’re such a great influence on me, Rei!”

Rei nearly tackled Usagi to hug her. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I yell at you so much, and treat you horribly, and – and I –“

Usagi hugged her back. “Please relax, Rei. You know I love you. No matter how harsh you might get, I know you just want me to be the best princess I can be.”

Rei released her. “You really, really do.”

“Of course.” Usagi grinned. She shot Rei a coy look. “I wouldn’t have asked you to practice with me alone if I didn’t believe that. Because I knew you would get the best out of me.” She laughed and brushed away her bow. “Even if my best is pretty bad.”

Rei returned the smile, and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Well Usagi, we might not’ve had a great lesson, but I know exactly what I want to do now.” She closed her eyes and let out a small, conniving laugh.

“What? Where are we going, Rei?”

“We’re going  _ shopping _ , Usagi!”

Usagi yelled and clapped. “Oh, you’re the best, Rei! I know exactly what I’m going to get!” She continued to rant, but Rei could only focus on her own thoughts.  _ Yes, I think I owe you something nice _ .  _ Even if in about ten minutes I’m going to be mortified by how you act in public _ .

  
  



End file.
